By Kwale Press Club
After 11 years of mining operations in Kwale County, Base Titanium has finally plugged off.
This is after the company flagged off its final bulk shipment of Rutile minerals headed to America on 12th February 2025.
It was the 171st ship to leave the country after the 1st left in February 2014.
The 4,200 metric tons of Rutile left Base Titanium’s harbor in Likoni at noon.
Final bulk shipment of Rutile minerals sails off to America
The company closed down mining operations at Kwale sites on 31st December 2024 and ended the processing on January 4th, 2025.
The company has been mining three types of Titanium Ore, which are Rutile, Zircon, and Ilmenite
Base Titanium’s operations general manager Denham Vickers said they ended mining after all the deposits in their sites were depleted.
“It is a sad day… It is quite emotional, but we must move on” Vickers said.
Base Titanium’s operations general manager Denham Vickers addressing the media at Likoni
He said they will not sell or relinquish the Likoni harbor until they are sure the exploration licences they currently have, have no chances of getting any mining benefits.
“We have about five prospecting licenses which we are still exploring, and so if we can say to ourselves that is it, there is no more chance of anything else then we will dispose off the facility,” he said.
Port and Shipment manager Elizabeth Kyalo said the port facility will no longer be in use for now after they cleared the last consignment of the minerals.
She said 80 percent of the minerals they export are shipped out in bulk.
“There are other minerals that we pack in containers and are exported through the Mombasa port,” she said.
Base Titanium Port and Shipment manager Elizabeth Kyalo addreesin the media at Likoni
Base titanium’s Likoni warehouse
